Europe excels in ocean tech innovation but struggles with venture funding. An EU initiative aims to change that by helping startups gain investors' trust—from Italy's underwater WiFi to Portugal's fish-powered farms.
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00:00Europe stands at the forefront of ocean technology innovation, with eight European nations ranking
00:14among the world's top ten leaders in this field. Yet, Europe is falling behind the United
00:19States and China when it comes to venture funding for our blue-tech innovators. How
00:25can we unlock the full power of European investments to ensure our blue-tech pioneers don't just
00:31survive but thrive in this increasingly competitive global landscape?
00:41We're heading out to sea with a team of Italian researchers. Their destination is the Secae
00:48della Meloria, a protected marine area off the coast of Livorno. They're going to test
00:53new equipment that could change how we study and protect life under the sea. The team is
01:00placing special devices in the water. These devices work like underwater Wi-Fi stations.
01:05They help divers communicate wirelessly by sending text messages using special underwater
01:10tablets. This work is part of the WTAG project. It's backed by European Union money through
01:15two Italian programs, the National Biodiversity Future Centre and the National Recovery Fund.
01:21The team hopes these methods will help protect marine areas around the world. This isn't
01:26just diving, it's diving into the future of marine research.
01:33Here is what makes this setup different from the Wi-Fi we use on land. Wi-Fi relies on
01:40high-frequency radio waves, but those don't work well underwater. They can't travel far
01:47at all. Instead, this system uses sound waves. The sound travels through the water much better,
01:55allowing these researchers to communicate over much longer distances, just like dolphins
02:00and whales.
02:17This new system makes diving safer too. It works like a GPS underwater, showing exactly
02:24where each diver is. If there's trouble, divers can call for help instantly. The company behind
02:31this technology is called WSENSE. They specialise in underwater communication systems that are
02:38helping learn much more about our oceans.
03:01Wireless networks under the sea can find their use in many sectors of Europe's blue economy.
03:32From fish farming to tourism, and from checking bridges and dams to running offshore wind farms.
03:41At WSENSE's main office in Rome, we see some equipment built with tough titanium cases.
03:48These can work deep in the ocean, thousands of metres down, helping underwater sensors,
03:55robots and other devices talk to each other.
04:13Finding the right investors can be tough, especially in blue tech. But WSENSE won the
04:19award of BlueInvest, a European union programme that links ocean-focused start-ups to investors.
04:25That put the company in the spotlight, helping it raise much more than expected.
04:49BlueInvest has many success stories connecting ocean-focused entrepreneurs with people who
05:00want to invest in their ideas. Aquaponics Iberia, in Portugal's Torres Vedras, created
05:06a system to grow fish and plants together.
05:20It works like a tiny ecosystem. Bacteria turn fish waste into food for plants. Then the
05:30plants clean the water, making it fresh again for the fish. The company says their proprietary
05:35method uses very little water. It saves 95% compared to regular fish farming on land.
05:43This could solve a big problem in the industry. BlueInvest helped them create a stronger business
05:49plan. Now Aquaponics Iberia seeks funding to scale up and implement a modular fish and
05:54greens concept that can include production areas, classrooms and restaurants.
06:13This technology isn't just for business. It's also helping students learn. In Lisbon,
06:25at the Fonseca Benavides secondary school, students are running their own aquaponics
06:30system. While they don't eat the carp fish they raise, the vegetables from their system
06:37sometimes end up in school lunches. Students use biology to understand the fish and plants,
07:00chemistry to test the water, math to measure growth and calculate supplies.
07:08Europe imports 70% of its seafood, but Aquaponics could help us grow fresh fish and vegetables
07:29locally all year round.
07:37From underwater networks to fish farming systems, Europe's ocean start-ups are pioneering
07:50promising new solutions. And programmes like BlueInvest can help them ride the wave.